A strange little one
by Azumiya Satsuki
Summary: Why Red hesitated to open up to Keith/ Throwback to season 1 because season 7 hurt


It has been too long since they captured me to even remember. Decades? Centuries? Most probably much longer. It was hard to tell. Especially when the only thing one could see from here were fortified walls designed not to let anyone or anything out unless authorized.

I didn't even know how the war ended. Or where my fellow lion friends were. I could only hope they took the time I gave them to run away, to hide, to save themselves. But there was no way to find out with me being tied to this place and the only source of information being the rumors among the soldiers.

What I did however know, was what happened to my paladin.

It has been too long indeed, yet my mechanical heart still aches.

Lately, I haven't had anyone going here, which also meant no word about the world outside this spaceship. They used to come here quite often before, sending in Galran soldiers in the hope I would accept them as my paladin. All of them failed. At first, there were literally hundreds of them waiting in the line, trying to- not gain my trust, but to _command_ me.

Sometimes they did it nicely. Talking to me, showing me their abilities and how "wonderful" they were. Other times, or rather later, when that did not work, they got violent. Yelling, ordering me, trying to kick their way to me. I had a barrier to keep myself safe, thank god, for even though I was made of the toughest material in all the galaxies, the number of times and the intensity of their attacks could do enough of damage.

It's not that they weren't fit for the job. Many of them possessed strength, bravery, they were daring. They could make fine pilots as well.

Neither did I hate them, as one would expect. After all, I have been born and raised alongside the Galrans. I was close to one especially, one I deemed to be a good leader and good man, alas, I have been mistaken.

The thing is, I was angry. Infuriated by the loss of my paladin. Horrified by the fact that those who once were friends became our enemies. Initially, I thought it really was hatred that I harbored, but it dissipated the very moment I fought the Galras for the first time. I froze. Because I recognized so many of them, because I remembered how precious all these beings used to be to me.

And suddenly, I was supposed to fight them. To kill them.

Most of all, I was devastated.

That's why I didn't respond. I didn't try to do anything. Even though there were many chances for me to move on my own, to fight my way out from here, to free myself, I didn't. Because honestly, if there was, after so many years, still no one coming for me, then I could as well stop hoping that anyone ever would. The Alteans must have fallen. And I had no home. No place to return to, no one to await me.

I lost will. The reason to struggle. Or any meaning of life.

So I thought that if it is here on this ship where my beloved pilot - my last connection - died, so would I.

Most of the time I slept. There was nothing I could do apart from that, as they stopped sending in potential warriors that could _command_ me, realizing that I would never open up again. I tried to call for my friends, to locate them, but I couldn't. Either they were forcefully put to sleep - not on the defensive mechanism like me, but manually shut off - or they... they didn't make it. Despite trying my hardest not to think about it, the isolation made my fears repeatedly emerge and haunt me.

The days became long.

Dull.

Unbearable.

I wished for somebody to put me into eternal sleep already.

No one really heard my prayers.

So I slept.

And slept.

Lost myself in the void.

Isolated myself from the reality.

Until-

 _"-out of here. Open up,"_

I hear a voice. It's not the same deep galran tone. Instead, it's somewhat gentle, friendly. Though clearly panicky.

 _"It's me, Keith, your buddy."_

How funny. None of those I have met ever referred to themselves as "buddies". Also, what kind of a name was Keith? It sounded strange.

Curiosity took over and I emerged from my slumber to see a male figure in front of me. Once I spotted the familiar, _red_ gear, I almost cried in joy, thinking that the paladin of mine - oh Alfor, how much I have missed you - has actually survived and came back. But it wasn't him. And it wasn't even possible.

This one was much smaller. Much, _much_ smaller. Even smaller than an Altean. He had strange eyes and strange face, one that I have never seen before. No marks. No pointed ears. Not purple, green or rocky either.

So what was he?

 _"It's me! Keiith! Your- I am your paladin!"_

Oh _is_ he now?

Anyway, that's not the answer I wanted.

Yet I couldn't just ignore him. He was different from the thousands of soldiers that have come here. He was so innocent. Maybe naive, but not to the point I would reject him. Young. A child? Yes, a child. He seemed inexperienced and pure. He hasn't killed yet. But he likes to get himself into trouble. Oh, I could see the strong fire inside his heart. I liked it. Though it also hid something painful. Loneliness. Fears. Being abandoned? Desires? Family? It all came rushing to me, unlike ever before with Galrans, or even Alteans. This small one had emotions so strong I couldn't stop them from reaching me even if I wanted to.

But I didn't. For the first time in millennia, there was a being that did not wish to control me. Someone who had a heart, someone who didn't only repeat _serve the empire_ and _rule the galaxy._

Though there certainly was something going through his head. Something along the lines of _Holy **** open the **** up before I get ******* found and killed._

And indeed, a few seconds later there were shots fired. I was too busy assessing this tiny boy I didn't even think of the option that maybe he sneaked on this ship and was in great danger.

The very moment I snapped out of my thoughts, I sensed them.

Blue.

Yellow.

Green.

They were here.

They were fine.

How was this possible?

The strange one down there shouted something at me but I didn't quite catch it in the midst of shooting. He then took out a Bayard - where did he take it from - and charged off.

I couldn't concentrate. I wanted to talk to my lion friends. I wanted to ask what happened, where they were, where was black? And what was I supposed to do? But at the same time, there was a boy in here in danger and asking me to open up to him.

He just fell on the ground after being hit. He reached for a control panel. Why? What was he trying to do?

Then it dawned on me. The gates opened up and threw all the Galras into space. Keith (was that his name again?) was barely hanging on, his eyes fixed on me.

His pulse was rapid. He was afraid. Of course he was, he could die. So the only option to save him was for him to become my pilot. But it wasn't only him scared. I felt frightened as well. He could pass as my paladin, seeing his abilities, and I could accept him, having read his heart and intentions. But I have lost too much. I was afraid to lose another one. And this tiny one seemed so fragile, so petite and vulnerable. How could I risk that?

The boy couldn't hold on any longer. Something fell on him and he let go. I panicked. I couldn't let this end up this way, right? Then why couldn't I move? Why couldn't I open up and take this maybe last chance?

 _"Red, no matter what happens to me, you need to live on. This galaxy needs you."_

Those were _Alfor's_ last words. Just before I got captured, before he had been impaled by his own best friend, he whispered these words to me.

I remembered them.

I remembered how strong he was and how he wished for me to live on. For his legacy to live on.

And I decided that this was the last time I would hold on to my previous paladin.

As he said, I had to carry on.

There was a new person out there waiting for me, after all.


End file.
